But both Gallagher and Georgoulis will be in the same place on Thursday, at the head table in the Amber Room Colonnade where they will be honored by the Rotary Club as Danbury's Firefighter and Police Officer of the Year.

Gallagher, 37, worked for nine years as a project manager for an architectural firm and two years as a manager at a data center before joining the fire department in October 2005.

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Georgoulis, 33, majored in broadcast journalism in college and ran a satellite truck for Fox News before beginning his career in law enforcement in December 2006.

Called a "computer guru" by Fire Chief
Geoffrey Herald
, Gallagher was chosen for the award for computerizing the department's voluminous training records, enabling Training Officer
Mark Omasta
to access and update the files to comply with both state and federal requirements with the click of a mouse.

"He spent hundreds of hours of his own time on the project," Herald said. "Now, when we need to document that our people have received the required training, we can pull the reports right up."

Georgoulis was selected not only for saving the life of a choking infant on East Liberty Street last July, but also for his overall job performance, which has earned him a number of commendations, awards and letters of appreciation, department spokesman Capt.
Thomas Wendel
said.

"Matt is a very motivated, intelligent, articulate and compassionate officer," Wendel said. "When you give him a job, whether it is complicated or routine, he will perform it to the best of his ability and with a smile on his face."

Gallagher, who lives in New Fairfield with his wife, Michelle, grew up in southern New Hampshire and moved to the area 12 years ago. He was a volunteer firefighter in New Fairfield for two years before he applied for the job in Danbury.

"I decided I liked the work," Gallagher said, explaining his career change.

He began the computer project in the fall of 2007 after walking into Omasta's office and finding the training officer in the process of organizing information from about "20 pieces of paper" on his desk.

"I said, 'I think I can help you,''' Gallagher recalled, and the computerized system was operational by spring.

Georgoulis, who lives in New Milford with his wife, Christy and 3-year-old son, Matthew, comes from a law enforcement family.

His bother, Michael, is a sergeant in the
Danbury department
, and his father, uncle and grandfather were police officers in Norwalk.

"It was in the lineage, but I figured my brother was taking care of that, so I wanted to do try something else," he said. "But after 911 and after I got married, your values change."

Still, there are similarities between his previous career and his current job.

"When breaking news happens, the adrenaline rush is the same," Georgoulis said. "Except in my old job, I didn't have to fight with anyone."

Gallagher said it was a shock and surprise when Chief Herald informed him that he had been named Firefighter of the Year. "I don't think anyone expects it," he said.

Georgoulis said his initial reaction on being summoned to Chef
Al Baker
's office, was, "Am I in trouble? It didn't register when he said it, but it's nice to get an 'attaboy,' because I'm not one for the limelight."